Back
To News/PR Index
|
Tonto
National Monument Celebrates Heritage Days on March 14 & 15
|
Roosevelt,
AZ – February 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / Tonto
National Monument will join the statewide celebration of Arizona Archaeology
and Heritage Awareness Month by hosting Heritage Days on Saturday, March
14 and Sunday, March 15. This weekend’s activities will include various
prehistoric technology demonstrations. The Apache culture will be represented
by a group of White Mountain Apache dancers performing the Apache Crown
Dance. Volunteers from the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center in north Phoenix
will be here with an assortment of live animals and birds that are native
to Arizona.
Visitors
will be able to preview the newly renovated Visitor Center museum which
features a replica of a cliff dwelling room. This replica room shows how
the dwellings were constructed over 700 years ago and what typical household
items might be found in these rooms. The exhibits also feature many original
artifacts which were well preserved by the dry environment of the cliff
dwellings.
Visitors
may hike to the Upper Cliff Dwelling on these two days. The Upper Cliff
Dwelling is normally available only on ranger-guided tours and requires
an advance reservation. The trail to the Upper Cliff Dwelling will open
at 9:00 am. This 3-mile round trip, backcountry hike climbs 600 feet along
a moderately strenuous, rocky trail and culminates with a number of switchbacks
and uneven steps before reaching the Upper Cliff Dwelling. Part of the
trail passes through a wash with many loose rocks and boulders. Bring water
and wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots, a hat, and sunscreen. The trip lasts
2-3 hours, depending on your physical condition or the number of photos
you want to take along the way. The trail to the Upper Cliff Dwelling will
close to uphill travel at 2:00 pm. Pets are not permitted on the Upper
Cliff Dwelling trail.
The
Visitor Center is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and offers new exhibits,
an orientation video program, bookstore, and restrooms. A picnic area with
several shaded tables is open until 4:45 pm. The paved trail to the Lower
Cliff Dwelling is one mile round-trip, climbs 350 feet, and usually takes
45 minutes to an hour to complete. This trail closes to uphill travel at
4:00 pm. Leashed pets are permitted on this trail but not in the Lower
Cliff Dwelling. The normal entrance fee of $3.00 per person will be waived
for this weekend.
Tonto
National Monument is located four miles east of Roosevelt Dam on State
Highway 188. Tonto National Monument protects two cliff dwellings built
by the Salado people over 700 years ago. Established as a national monument
in 1907 by President Teddy Roosevelt, the cliff dwellings were part of
the archeological preservation movement in America. The Monument is open
daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm except for Christmas. Directions and additional
information are available on the Monument’s website, www.nps.gov/tont,
or you may call 928-467-2241.
|
Poster
PDF File
|
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 405 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.nps.gov,
on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Contact:
Duane
Hubbard
Superintendent
Tonto
National Monument
928-467-2241 |